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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659071">The Devil's Footsteps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/robindrake93/pseuds/robindrake93'>robindrake93</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Short One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:20:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>802</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659071</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/robindrake93/pseuds/robindrake93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The kids at Camp Half-Blood play the Devil's Footsteps game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Devil's Footsteps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was reminded of this poem/book/game (because it is all three) and thought to myself that it really suited the kids at Camp Half-Blood. I have a <a href="https://luke-x-percy.tumblr.com/post/620608109393674240/the-devils-footsteps-a-percy-jackson-fic-by">gif here</a> but to make the fic make sense, I only cover a few of the deaths.</p><p>The Devil’s Footsteps novel is by E.E. Richardson</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luke caught Percy by the elbow and pulled him towards the woods where other campers were gathering. “C’mon, Percy. We’re skipping training to play a game.” His scar stretched when he flashed his warm, reassuring smile to Percy. </p><p>Percy followed along, and had to jog to keep up with Luke’s longer stride. He didn’t understand why they were suddenly playing a game now. After Capture The Flag, no one wanted anything to do with Percy. Well, except for Luke and even Luke mostly just trained him in sword fighting. “What game are we playing?” </p><p>Beckendorf joined them, pushing a wheelbarrow towards the spot by the woods. It was full of large stones but Beckendorf handled it with ease, muscles barely even straining under the weight. “It’s called The Devil’s Footsteps,” he explained. “We play it whenever a new camper arrives.” </p><p>“What’s the Devil’s Footsteps?” Percy asked, eyeing the wheelbarrow full of stones and thinking that he didn’t really want to play anything that involved them. He had already been hazed by Clarisse and that was bad enough without adding large stones into the mix.</p><p>The other Campers laughed at him, some with genuine mirth and others nervously. It was Annabeth who answered, “It’s a stupid game. A superstition.” Despite her words, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked apprehensive. </p><p>Connor laid out the stones on the ground, leading into the woods. There were thirteen of them, each large enough to be stepped on. They looked like they had been stepped on by many, many shoes. “The game is to determine how you’re going to die.” </p><p>Percy swallowed and tried to back away. “I’d rather not know how I’m going to die.” He ran into a body, looked up into Luke’s face. </p><p>“It’ll be okay, Percy,” Luke said. He squeezed Percy’s shoulders. “Like Annabeth said, it’s just a superstition. We can’t prove that there’s anything divine about the game.” There was something in Luke’s expression that seemed plastic, that seemed fake. As though he was just trying to reassure Percy but didn’t really believe what he was saying. </p><p>When Connor finished setting out the stones, he returned to stand with the group at the edge of the woods. “Luke is first cause he’s the oldest.” He slipped his hand into Travis’ hand. </p><p>Luke stepped away from Percy and stood before the first stone. He took a step onto the first one. </p><p>“One in fire, two in blood.”</p><p>Luke hopped onto the second stone. He was balanced using only one foot, like hopscotch. </p><p>“Three in storm, four in flood.” </p><p>Luke cleared the next two stones, wobbled a little but managed to keep his balance. </p><p>“Five in anger, six in hate.” </p><p>Percy saw a trickle of sweat roll down the back of Luke’s neck. </p><p>Beside him, Annabeth chewed her nails. Her gray eyes were wide as she watched Luke.</p><p>“Seven in fear -” </p><p>The campers abruptly cut off as Luke fell off the seventh stone. He picked himself up off the dirt and brushed off his knees. There was sweat on his face, a hunted look in his eyes. </p><p>“Luke always gets fear,” Annabeth whispered. She sounded terrified by the notion. </p><p>Luke stood at the opposite end of the thirteen stones. He gestured for the next person to step up. </p><p>It was Beckendorf. He fell off the first stone. </p><p>Silena fell on nine in sorrow. She scraped her knee and limped over to join Beckendorf. </p><p>A kid named Ethan fell off at ten in pain, wincing as he did but there was something resigned in his expression. </p><p>One by one the other campers hopped across the stones. No one was surprised by anyone’s results. It quickly became clear that this game had been played many times before. It became clear that the game wasn’t actually for <i>them</i>, determining how <i>they</i> would die. They were going through the motions so that they could find out how Percy was going to die. When there was no one left on this side of the stones except for Percy, Luke gestured for Percy to cross the stones. </p><p>Percy didn’t want to but he wasn’t a coward. He hopped onto the first stone. The other campers chanted the words as he hopped from stone to stone. Percy wavered on evil eight and by eleven in death, he was tired of hopping. Only two stones left. Percy cleared twelve life again with an annoying ease. When he hit thirteen, he learned that there were more words to this one. </p><p>“Thirteen steps to the Darkman’s Door, won’t be turning back no more.” </p><p>Percy fell off of the thirteenth step and into Luke’s arms. “What does that mean?” he asked nervously. </p><p>Luke set Percy on solid ground. His expression was grim. “It means that the Darkman is going to come for you.”</p>
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